


Blind Sense

by LachesisMeg



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Blind Character, Canon Disabled Character, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 02:56:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4003201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LachesisMeg/pseuds/LachesisMeg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Matt does get hit by a car.<br/>Five times she could tell he was blind.  And one more she didn’t tell him about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Balance

_“We have some time while this sets. How about you tell me how you became blind and I tell you how I ended up in this wheelchair?”_

_“Why do you keep insisting I am blind?”_

_“Fine. I’ll describe my diagnosis of your visual acuity.”_

__________________________________

_“I knew you were visually impaired -- or concussed -- after you landed and you felt for the ground rather than looking for the horizon.”_

 

Matt hadn’t thought much about flying through the air. He jumped, he fell, he was thrown, he tumbled; these things happened. He knew where he was when he took off, he knew where he was when he was airborne, and he knew where he was when he landed.

Leaping down from a fire escape at exactly the same moment a truck backed into the alley to turn around was something different entirely.

He twisted to push off the back of the truck. Gravity had other plans. His left arm jerked one way against the roof of the vehicle and his center of mass flew another. The ground was a surprise when he landed, and his right leg collapsed under him. Shit. Claire was out of town and he was going to need someone to patch him up after this. 

The delivery truck drove away while Matt was still figuring out which way was up. He found the pavement in front of him with his right hand and slowly stood up.


	2. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I could tell you were legally blind because you were terrified of a crippled old lady.”_

Tilting his head to the side to check for trouble, Matt heard a surprisingly calm heartbeat from someone looking right at him in the mouth of the alley. 

Matt raised his head and growled, “Don’t come any closer.” He listened, searching for another route out.

A warm, tired voice replied, “I’ll stay right here. But I’m a doctor, and I think you could use a doctor right now.” She did smell like hospitals. And arthritis cream. And of electric motors and tires? And she was sitting down…. Matt realized that he had just threatened an elderly woman in a wheelchair.

His jaw unclenched, and a wave of embarrassment flushed across his face. He hoped the mask hid it. 

Matt aimed his face toward her and responded firmly, “No, I’ll take care of it. It’s not safe here; you should go.” 

He started to walk out of the alley carefully favoring his ankle and ignoring the screaming in his arm. The alley had other ideas. He tripped, stumbled to the left, and reached out to catch himself. 

Falling would have been better. His left hand stretched out, found the wall to balance him, and then so much pain both knees buckled.


	3. Aim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I suspected you had no light perception when I asked you to point at the street light and you pointed at the emergency lights for the bodega. They weren’t on.”_

Now the doctor’s heart rate was starting to rise, but it didn’t reflect in her voice. “How about this?” she proposed. “Let me check you out for a head injury and internal injuries, and if you’re sure after that you can take care of yourself I’ll leave you to it.”

Matt didn’t bother to stand up again. “My mask stays on. I won’t let you shine light into my eyes.”

She must have taken that for consent because she moved forward while muttering under her voice, “As if I don’t know how to do a blind neuro eval. I’ll have to tell him I wrote the book.” Matt didn’t think she expected him to hear that over the sound of her chair’s motor, so he said nothing.

She checked his neck and back of his head with one hand, without trying to take off his mask, although with his permission she reached under to feel the pulse on his neck. She announced each movement she made before she made it. “Any ringing in your ears? Do you think you have any scalp wounds? Any dizziness? How does your chest feel?”

Matt listened to his body for a moment, checking for injuries he might have missed. “No, it really is just my arm and my ankle. I’ll be fine.” 

“Let me decide that.

“I want you to stand up, then stick your right arm all the way out to the side. Point your index finger out. Point to your nose, then to me. Nose. Me. Nose. Street light. Nose. Fire escape. Ear. Ok, you can put down your arm.”

Matt pointed to everything easily, even as she sped up her demands. He could tell she found something unexpected in his responses, but she didn’t say anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made up the bit about a blind neuro eval because that is the sort of thing that should exist but I bet doesn’t. I have no medical training, so don’t listen to me about this stuff.


	4. Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Your hand has calluses from your cane, and your fingertips have the distinctive feel of a frequent Braille reader.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno if smooth fingertips from reading Braille are a thing.

After the usual litany of questions, math problems, and memory quizzes, Dr. Evie relented. “You were right. No signs of concussion. Your breathing and pulse seem normal, so I’ll trust you on the internal injuries. Who are you going to get to set your arm?”

“I’ll wrap it myself, I’m sure it’s just a sprain.” Matt was pretty sure it wasn’t, but he was also pretty sure she couldn’t tell he was lying.

“Young man, that is almost certainly a compound fracture. Your outfit is holding it in place, but that is not a sprain. If you won’t go to the ER then you’re coming home with me.”

“It’s too dangerous to help me. I can’t have anyone else getting hurt.” 

“Bah,” she snorted. “I make my own choices. Besides, I’m only in town for the week. Who would bother to track me three states away for one bone-setting?

“If you don’t agree to come with me I will prove to you it is a compound fracture, and then so help me God I will hold you here until an ambulance arrives.”

Matt could tell she wasn’t lying. Given how much his arm hurt he didn’t really want to find out if she could do it.

“Here, let me help you get your gloves off.” He held out his hands in consent. She unbuckled them, tossed them in her lap, and then grabbed his right hand in a strong handshake. “I’m Dr. Evie. It’s nice to meet you, blind man who jumps off fire escapes.”

She ignored his arguments that he was not blind and started checking his left fingers for pulses and sensation. 

“Great, doesn’t seem like you have any nerve damage there. I’m going to start getting some supplies ordered, and then you are coming with me.” She picked up her phone and started tapping away.

“Tell me the address. You can’t be seen with me.”

Evie argued back, “You'll be more suspicious sneaking in alone than with me. You can wear my coat over your suit and walk behind me. Take off your mask. I promise I won’t look.” Turning her chair away from him, she leaned forward, wriggled out of her coat, and put something in the pockets.

“I’ve put your gloves in the pockets. You can probably fit your mask in there, too. Try not to forget them.” She reached behind her with the coat, still looking straight ahead.

Matt thought long and hard about walking away. He could go home, clean up and change, and then go to the ER for a broken arm, right? But he really hated hospitals. He sighed and took the coat from her.


	5. Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I confirmed you had no light perception when you didn’t even bother to turn your head away from the spotlight I used to work on your arm.”

Matt was impressed to discover a package waiting at her door when they arrived at the apartment. While Dr. Evie picked it up he put the mask back over his face.

"This is NYC. With the right contacts and the right price, you can get anything at any hour.

"Head on in. Couch at your 10 o'clock. Watch out for the coffee table. Get out of your suit and put your left arm up on the back of the couch."  
She set the package on a table and started going through the contents. Matt sat on the couch as instructed, wincing as he got his arm out of the suit.

“Any drug allergies?”

“I won’t take pain meds.”

“Addiction concerns or loss of control?”

Matt didn’t answer for a moment, then “I’m… I’m not worried about addiction.”

“Hmph. So I’m going to send you home with painkillers so you can sleep and then you’re not going to take them?”

Matt nodded, “Pretty much.”

"Well, I'm going to use local anesthetic on your arm. And the antibiotics are not optional."

He turned his head in a gesture of acquiescence.

Dr. Evie brought over a lamp and set up her workspace. She worked quickly and mostly one handedly, although occasionally she would steady something with her left hand. 

"You've done this before," Matt said, trying to draw her into conversation as a distraction as much as anything else.

She answered while she gloved up and started cleaning his arm. "I've probably been doing this longer than you have been alive. Not usually in an air b&b rental, but this is still a better setup than I had in the military, and a lot quieter than working in an ER. I'm going to need your hand for this bit. Grab your left wrist and hold it still."

Matt knew what was going to come next, so he managed stay quiet while she wrestled his arm back into place. Well, a gasp or two may have escaped.

"I'm going to splint it, then sew it up, then put on a full cast." After the splint was on Dr. Evie paused and stretched her right arm and neck before continuing. 

While she stitched she instructed, "If there is any sign of infection, or you get sharp stabbing pain, or start losing feeling in your fingers, you need to go to the hospital immediately. You are mortal, young man, and you probably really like having two arms. So don't fuck around with this."

Matt smirked at her vehemence. Up until the swearing she had started sounding like one of the nuns from his childhood.

After the cast was on Dr. Evie went over to the sink to cleanup. "There are sweats on the table and a bag for your suit. Change and I'll take care of your ankle."

Matt found the sweats and changed into them. Dr. Evie rolled back to the couch and put an aircast on his ankle.

“We have some time while this sets. How about you tell me how you became blind and I tell you how I ended up in this wheelchair?”

“Why do you keep insisting I am blind?” 

“Fine. I’ll describe my diagnosis of your visual acuity.”


	6. Color

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There were probably some other clues, but that’s what comes to mind.”
> 
> Matt hears the grin in her voice as she lies, but doesn’t detect any malice in it. 
> 
> “Now, let’s make sure I’ve got the angles right for you to still be able to read in that thing. You’re going to need it for at least 4-6 weeks.” She hands him a business card and he runs his fingers over the Braille lettering on one side. _Dr. Evangelina Maeyer Customized Medical Care for People with Mobility and Visual Impairments._ Too bad it has an out of state address.

Foggy snorted when he came through the door. “I think I like your mystery doctor.”

Matt turned his head up, questioning.

“She didn’t tell you? Oh this is beautiful. I can’t wait until Karen sees it.”

“Do I have another black eye? I don’t think I hit my face…”

“Matt… your cast. It’s, it’s ... bright orange. I think it even reflects light like a safety vest. I guess she really wanted to make sure you didn’t get ‘hit by a car’ again.”

“Foggy, I told you, this time I really DID get hit by a car.” Matt dipped his head and raised his right shoulder as he corrected himself, “ok, a truck.”

He continued to leave out the details of what he had been doing at the time.

Daredevil definitely wasn’t going to be able to patrol with a neon arm. Matt wondered how he was going to convince Claire to take it off sooner than the 4 weeks Dr. Maeyer had insisted on.


End file.
